Sakura
by There'sHopeInYourEyes
Summary: In which Sakura has run away from home to protect her father, to go fight in japans army. And which Itachi is the Captain for the new recruits; who trains and leads them with an unforgiving iron fist. (Naruto version of Mulan.)


**Hey guys. :3 So I know I should be finishing my other stories. . I've just been gone so long, I feel it's time to start fresh. So this story will be a bit like Mulan, except VERY different. I will be running a poll for those of you who are reading this first chapter. Please review saying which choice you prefer. Either she will go to the army claiming to be a woman already, OR she will be found out as a woman. But in this story I am deciding to change them from kicking her out of the army, so we can get ITASAKU fluff going on. AMIRIGHT? :D The next chapter depends on your opinions! Also should we keep Mushu? I was thinking about turning him into one of Tsunade's slugs :3.**

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I woke up stretching and yawning, drowsiness evident in my entire being. I took a few moments to open my eye's to the bright world around me, satisfied with sleeping in a few extra minutes. I ran to the kitchen to grab a bowl of rice, sneaking back to my bedroom to enjoy it in peace. As I ate in contempt, I copied my notes to my wrist. Since I had turned 18 in the spring, today I was meeting my match maker. To be quite honest the idea of being forced to marry a man a strange woman choose for me felt unfair. Undignified. Shouldn't I be the one to choose who I loved? However, that is not how it works. I did not want to dishonor my family. I sighed, reading off the last note of the lessons I was to recite.

"Punctual." _Wait a moment punctual? PUNCTUAL? _ "I'M LATE." I rushed out of my room, skidding my bare feet against the wooden floors, as I grabbed my father's tea. I raced across the field, spilling a bit of green tea here and there. I noticed my Father meditating in our ancestors memorial place. I came to a halt, to pour him the tea.

"Good morning Father. " He looked up at me, his one eye showing behind his mask. His silver hair gleaming in the sunlight.

"Sakura you should already be gone!" His stern voice came. I winced, knowing this fact already.

" I – I was just leaving now!" I backed out of the shrine, tripping over a chicken. The beast let out a loud shriek, as feather flew everywhere. I jumped back up, bowing and saying my apologies, before taking full speed ahead to get to the stables. My lungs on fire, my feet burning, I jumped onto my horse.

"YAH!". Off into town we rode. As I came into town, I saw my mother Rin waiting outside for me. Her face was cross. VERY cross. I gulped, as the stable people came for my horse. My mother escorted me into the beauty shop.

"Sakura you're late . ." I winced again, my pink hair flopped around me from my bumpy ride, full of chicken feathers. The beautician stared me up and down with an amused tone in her eye's.

"I've seen worse." They grabbed me with surprisingly strong arms for mature women, and stripped me of my clothing. I panicked feeling violated, and unsure. _Hey that hurts. Don't poke me there. AH that TICKLES._

**SPLASH.**

A frigged cold shock went through my body, as I rose to the surface of the bath tub in shock. I shivered uncontrollably. I stared at my mother in disbelief.

"It's freezing in here." My mother scoffed at me, giving me a warning look. "It would have been warm had you been on time." I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her. Rough hands grabbed at my every limb, cleaning scrubbing, pulling at my hair, dipping my head back into the freezing water. I've never felt so violated in my entire life. At that moment Granny Tsunade walked in, her big breasts bouncing as she walked in. She examined the work being done.

"She's looking pretty good." She beamed at my mother, who smiled back. They scrubbed my arm. "Sakura what is this?" My attention jerked back to my mother. I gave her a sheepish grin.

"Ohhhhh, uhhh those . . notes?" she gave me a disapproving look, as they took me out of the tub. They dressed me, tugging me this way and that. Wrapping my kimono too tight. I let out a gasp for air, trying to suck the life back into my lungs. They painted my face and fixed my hair.

Granny Tsunade took me aside. She gave me a once over before taking something out of their pocket.

"A shot of sake for nerve". She shoved it down my throat. "TSUNADE"! My mother exclaimed. She ignored her. "And a cricket for luck." She put a little cage under my kimono belt.

"I tested it gambling this morning." Granny Tsunade winked at me, before walking away for my mother to look at me. My mind felt a bit hazy after the shot, my chest warm and fiery. I looked up at the rest of the women in waiting leaving to meet the matchmaker. My mother and Tsunade shooed me, as I grabbed my umbrella, and walked quickly to the end of the line. My heart was racing in the cavity of my chest. I was sure the girl in front of me could hear it. I tried to keep my chin at the same level as the girls walking in front of my, walking with my back as straight as possible.

The girls spread out into a circle in front of the matchmakers house, as we all bowed and pulled our umbrella's out in front of us. I heard a door creak open, as I felt my heart rise up into my throat.

"Sakura Haruno." _THAT'S ME! Oh god that's me . . what do I do? What do I say? I thought she'd call someone else first. . _

"Present!." I stood up trying to smile bright. The woman gave me an incredulous look. I heard the crowd around me murmur. _**That's not what you're supposed to say baka!**_

"Speaking without permission." She shook her head disapprovingly. I covered my face with my hand, as I hurried inside the house, not even glancing at the woman who'd called my name. The woman was very curvy, with a large frame. She stood about 4 inches taller than I. She circled around me like a vulture waiting for a corpse to rot. My brow twitched in discomfort.

"Too skinny." I did my best to keep my face passive. _Excuse me for living. __**Did I just feel something move on my back? **_I silently panicked as she walked to the other side of the room, as the cricket jumped in front of me. I tried catching it before she saw me. As she turned around I stuck it into my mouth. _I have a cricket in my mouth, oh gross. _

"Recite the final admonition." I nod at her smiling.

"Mmmmhhhmmmm." I whip out my fan, and spit out the cricket behind it. I fanned myself, trying not to get nauseous.

"Welll . . . . ?" She impatiently urged.

"Fulfill your duties calmly and re...f—" I looked at my arm with the smeared writing. " spectfully. Reflect before you snack." _WHAT?_I looked quickly back down at my arm. "ACT! This shall bring you honor

and glory. " I sighed, rapidly waving the fan across my face.

She snatched my arm, grabbing the fan from my hands. She looked on the back of it looking for notes. Not finding any she walked towards the table she had set out. Walking behind it to face me she spread her hands out before her.

"Pour the tea. " She pushed a simple white tea pot towards me. I grabbed it gently with my hands.

"To please your future in-laws you must demonstrate a sense of dignity." The matchmaker rubbed her chin in thought. Ink spreading across her face. I stared at her in complete shock. I looked down to see I had poured some tea on the table. _Baka! _ I poured tea into the cup this time.

"and refinement. You must also be poised." _Shit! The cricket is in the cup! _As I tried to grab the cup the woman grabbed it from me.

"Um pardon me." I said quietly.

"AND SILENT!" She said in annoyance. As I reached for the tea cup, the cricket jumped up, jumping into her chest.

"WOOO ." Her face was shocked. As the cricket jumped around in her shirt, she screamed jumped around trying to get it off. Behind her she landed backwards in a lump of coals from the fire she had made for the tea.

"Hot hot, put it out!" Without thinking I grabbed my fan trying to put out the ember. A flash of flame burst from her behind as the flame got bigger. _Oh god what have I done? _

"Woooaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!". She danced around the house, trying to fan her butt with her hands. She ran outside trying to get someone to help her. I rushed for the tea, and threw the liquid over her. I caught eye's with Granny Tsunade and my mother before the woman turned to me. She jabbed a finger at me in pure anger.

"YOU ARE A COMPLETE DISGRACE. YOU MAY LOOK LIKE A BRIDE, BUT YOU WILL **NEVER ** BRING YOUR FAMILY HONOUR. " She stalked back inside and slammed the doors behind her. The people around us whispered and shuffled out of the area. My mother and granny Tsunade looked at me with disappointment. I rushed past them both, hurrying over to the stable area. I grabbed the horse's reigns and galloped off towards the house. Burning confusion rippled through me as I went home in dismay.

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_Of course you're not meant to be a bride. You're clumsy, and you have pink hair. Who would like pink hair? _By the time I got home I felt numb inside. I lead my horse towards the stables, as my father caught my eye. He smiled at me brightly with hope in his eye's. A pang filled my heart. I could not look into those hopeful eye's without guilt and dread. I moved my horse's face in front of my own as I walked away. I left the stables after I had brushed my horse down and set him up, walking into our backyard feeling at a loss for myself. I went into our ancestors memorial. I bent down to pray asking for guidance. I looked up into my reflection, seeing all the beautiful makeup on my face.

_I don't even look how I feel on the inside. _I wiped the make up off with my sleeve, trying to remove the mask from my face. I couldn't hide who I am inside no matter how hard I try. Though I look beautiful on the outside, inside I don't feel I know the person I see in the reflection at all. Getting up slowly, I walked into the house, silently into my room. I didn't know where to go from here.

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**I know it was short! But I kind of can't go onto the next part without you're idea's. So please please tell me what you'd like! Does Sakura go in as a man? Or does is she discovered as one later and is allowed to stay? Does mushu stay or does he end up a slug? And what should we name the horse? (I don't want to match the story up too much. Cause I dunn wanna be sued ladies and gents.) **


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